Tiverton budgets get final hearing ahead of vote

Friday

Voting for the referendum will take place Saturday, May 18 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the high school. Those who cannot vote then can vote at the Town Hall May 16 and 17 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

TIVERTON — Town Clerk Nancy Mello set down the rules in the first few minutes of the financial town hearing Thursday night by telling the 50 people who showed up at in the high school auditorium — most of them town officials — that “this is not the time for political statements.”

The annual meeting that precedes the May 18 Financial Town Referendum allowed authors of both budgets that will be on the ballot to explain them and answer questions.

Ruth Hollenbach, vice chairwoman of the Budget Committee, went over the Budget Committee’s budget page by page, and talked about the hard work the committee did, with Jeff Caron as chairman, putting it together over some 500 hours, she estimated.

Caron resigned April 20, just minutes before signatures for a proposed third budget had to be delivered to the clerk’s office. He gave no reason, but did comment at the end of the final meeting of the committee that he would have liked to have seen a budget lower than the $54.6 million budget recommended by a majority of the 11-member committee. Budget Committee member Joseph Sousa was gathering signatures for such a budget submission but said at Thursday’s hearing he decided to be “a team player” and support the budget formulated by the committee.

The tax rate that would result from the Budget Committee’s budget would be $15.58 per $1,000 valuation. The current rate is $16.39 per $1,000 valuation. More than $2 million in capital expenditures are in the budget due to the new casino revenue stream of $3 million annually. The average taxpayer would pay $250 a year less than the current year if they approve Budget 1, Hollenbach said.

Sanford Mantell, a resident who served on the Budget Committee 10 years ago and spent his working career in financial analysis, budgeting and accounting in the manufacturing industry, said he set up his proposed fiscal 2020 budget differently, and made a point early in the meeting to talk about “Mathgate” or “the rumbling in town” about his math not adding up.

“I computed it slightly differently,” Mantell told the small crowd, and likened it to having two ways to get to Providence. While the Budget Committee may take Interstate 195, he can get to the same place by taking Route 6.

“It adds up to being a better budget,” Mantell said of giving the schools close to what they asked for, but not everything, adding some money to the library budget so hours can be extended, adding more to the building official salary to attract a “really talented” candidate, adding the part time zoning officer back to the budget and upping the fire department overtime budget above that recommended by the Budget Committee to pay for per diem firefighters to cover six open positions in the department. His budget also results in a lower tax rate than current. An average taxpayer with a home assessed at $306,000 would save $181 a year compared to $250 under the Budget Committee’s proposal.

His $55 million proposed budget calls for a $600,000 withdrawal from the General Fund to offset the tax rate whereas the Budget Committee’s calls for an $800,000 withdrawal.

A couple of people tried to question him about his math during the hearing and he quickly replied that the math ‘is correct. That’s not in dispute” and asked them to move on.

There were differing views about funding the schools.

Resident David Haldane said the Budget Committee didn’t give any department exactly what they wanted and said theirs is “really a compromise budget.” He said what he found “most striking” was the amount being paid to increase teacher salaries ($1.1 million) and asked if there are any new programs planned for the schools the next fiscal year.

“I’m concerned about not funding the schools,” said parent Patti Souza Cooper. “If we don’t have a strong school system who’s going to move here?”

School Committee Chairman Jerome Larkin said the $31.9 million budget request from the School Department is lower than an initial request that added programs and staff. Even with the increase over the current $30.2 million budget the School Department will just be “treading water.”

Mantell has recommended a $31.8 million school budget and the Budget Committee has recommended a $31.4 million school budget.

“We want to see some results,” Hollenbach said. “It’s better to gradually see what happens,” with budget increases to the schools, she said. “And then give a little more money and see what happens.”

Mantell said the new superintendent seems to be one who can turn things around and giving him close to what he needs to maintain the status quo will help him move the district forward.

Voting for the referendum will take place Saturday, May 18 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the high school. Those who cannot vote then can vote at the Town Hall May 16 and 17 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

mpobzeznik@newportri.com

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